“We’re very pleased with the turnout and want to thank our fans for their generosity this holiday season,” Darlington Raceway President Chris Browning said. “We were able to collect many toys and donations for the U.S. Marines Toys for Tots program and to be able to help families that need assistance right before Christmas.
“We’re more than happy to open up our racing facility for a day and give our fans the chance to take their vehicles on the high banks of Darlington Raceway and in turn give back to the local communities that have supported us for more than 60 years!” Browning continued.
Vehicles of all kinds participated in the event, some traveling hundreds of miles from all parts of South Carolina, North Carolina and beyond. John Bachman, from nearby Hartsville, S.C., heard about the drive on the local radio and donated toys and cash for the opportunity to take his truck on the track with his son.
“What a great opportunity to take a few laps around Darlington Raceway and also give back to the community,” John Bachman said. “Giving back to people who are less fortunate, especially kids, is so important and we were happy to participate in the event. My son, Jonathon, lives in North Carolina so I thought this would be a fun thing for him to be able to say he took laps around this great track.”
The local U.S. Marines Toys for Tots program assisted over 10,000 children in 2010, including over 5,000 in Darlington and Florence counties alone. Events like the Darlington Raceway drive make a tremendous impact in its efforts to make sure every child has a toy(s) to unwrap during the Christmas season.
“We truly appreciate the efforts by track president Chris Browning and his staff to open up Darlington Raceway and allow its fans to participate in this special event, which is our largest collection event of the season,” Jim Williams, U.S. Marines Toys for Tots Program Coordinator said. “Because of the generosity of great local community members like Darlington Raceway, a child in need will be able to open a gift this Christmas season.”
Darlington Raceway -- or the track Too Tough To Tame as it is known to many -- has been a NASCAR staple since 1950, and seen some of the sport's most talented drivers fight their way to Gatorade Victory Lane. On Mother’s Day weekend, May 11-12, 2012, NASCAR’s biggest stars return to battle the track Too Tough To Tame in the Sprint Cup Series Southern 500 and Nationwide Series Darlington 200.
Tickets for events at Darlington can be purchased by calling the Darlington Raceway ticket office at 866-459-RACE or online at http://www.darlingtonraceway.com/tickets.
As a Marine and former coordinator for toys for tots i can without a doubt say that events like the ones held br darlington speedway and other major sports venues are always a huge turnout of fans. Without these types of events held across teh country programs like toys for tots would not be able to continue to provide a christmas gift to less than fortunate children. p.s. I'd personally like to see more Nascar affiliated tracks get involved like this (show the generosity of Nascar fans vs fans of other sports!)
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